This application pertains to the art of fabric splicing, and to an fabric splice.
Fabric is commonly processed by moving it in a flat condition through a treatment apparatus at high velocity. A leading end of a new fabric roll is commonly spliced to the tail end of a roll being processed in order to provide a continuous operation.
Fabric used to manufacture vehicle tires is commonly moved under tension through an oven for stress relieving the fabric yarns. Such fabric is tensioned as high as 30,000 pounds and run through an oven at a temperature close to 500.degree. F. Fabric of rayon, nylon, polyester and other materials is commonly treated in this manner. The fabric commonly runs through the oven at a rate of around 120 yards per minute. In order to provide a continuous operation, approximately 250-300 yards of fabric are stored in a storage accumulator ahead of the oven. When the tail end of a fabric roll is spliced to the leading end of a new fabric roll, the fabric in the storage accumulator is fed through the oven. Stoppage of the fabric in the oven for a long period of time would ruin a section of the fabric and it would be necessary to rethread a fabric through the entire treatment apparatus.
Leading and tailing end portions of the fabric are commonly spliced together by the use of a high temperature and high pressure vulcanizing press. The leading and tail end portions of fabric are overlapped with unvulcanized rubber therebetween. The press closes to subject the overlapped end portions and rubber to high pressure and temperature for vulcanizing the rubber and bonding it to the fabric. Making such a fabric splice requires approximately 30-40 seconds to complete, not counting preparation time. Certain fabrics, such as polyester, do not bond well to the rubber. Under the high tensions and temperatures encountered, vulcanized rubber splices often have a tendency to fail.
Fabric splices of the type described are also commonly made by the use of multi-needle sewing machines. This requires a large number of stitches, and preparation for the sewing operation takes considerable time.
In prior splicing procedures of the type described, a large amount of extra fabric must be stored in the storage accumulator to insure sufficient fabric for continuous travel through the oven while the splice is being made. Any delay in making the splice will require shutting down the rolls pulling the fabric through the oven until the splice is completed. This will often ruin a large section of fabric in the oven and may even require shutting down the apparatus in order to rethread the fabric.
It would be desirable to have a way of making a fabric splice in a very short period of time while maintaining high strength for the tension forces encountered.